A blog by a girl who loves Loves LOVES books

Menu

Tag Archives: Review

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Larissa Ione, comes RAZR, a passionate and spellbinding novella from the Demonica Underworld Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure you grab your copy today!

About RAZR:

New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione returns to the Demonica Underworld…

A fallen angel with a secret.

An otherworldly elf with an insatiable hunger she doesn’t understand.

An enchanted gem.

Meet mortal enemies Razr and Jedda…and the priceless diamond that threatens to destroy them both even as it bonds them together with sizzling passion.

Welcome back to the Demonica Underworld, where enemies find love…if they’re strong enough to survive.

Shivering, she went back inside and fetched the med kit from the bathroom. Razr was still passed out cold, so gently and carefully she stripped off his slacks.

He didn’t wear underwear. Oh, my.

Her mouth went as dry as the sand forest in her elven homeland as she took in his magnificent body. Everything began to burn, parts of her she’d all but forgotten she had in the five years since she’d last been with a man. The fallen angel was about as perfect as anything she’d ever seen. Made sense, she supposed—she’d never thought angels would be anything less than perfection. But seeing one naked and up close? No one could blame her for wanting to take pictures and post to all her friends on Instagram, right?

Cursing her ethics, she arranged him on his belly to allow access to his shredded back. Shame at the fact that she’d just ogled him shrank her skin. Gods, he must have been in so much pain. She’d nearly passed out herself during the beating, unable to stomach the sight of muscle and bone exposed by the deep lacerations.

Making matters worse, Shrike had reveled in the gore, growing angrier with each strike, as if he’d been taking some deep inner pain out on Razr. When it was over, he’d thrown down the cat and fled the office without a word, leaving her to gather Razr’s unconscious body and find her way out of the castle.

At least the wounds had stopped bleeding and were already starting to heal. Still, this was one of the times she wished she’d chosen the garnet Gem of Enoch instead of the diamond. Jedda and her sisters hadn’t known what power each of the gems had possessed at the time they’d chosen and assimilated them, but neither Jedda nor Reina had been completely happy with the outcomes. Manda had embraced the killing power of her stone, but Reina had no desire to heal and had been furious. And while Jedda’s gem had given her an ability to violently repel demons that she actually used sometimes, being able to help now and then would have been cool too.

Very carefully, she cleaned Razr’s wounds and applied bandages, each one drawing an elven curse from her. Such a perfect body, torn to shreds on a regular basis. He had no scars—at least, none that were visible. She’d heard there were species of demons that could see scars no one else could, and she wondered what one of those demons would see if they looked at Razr.

Jedda saw a very fit, very toned male.

REVIEW:

Growing up in the Bible belt, I’d always thought of demons as bad. And I mean, I guess they still ARE, but in books such as RAZR we see demons more humanized.

And Jedda was an interesting character. Shes an elf, but not your typical one. Not to give too much away by way of spoilers, but I’ve never read a character like her.

This was a pretty quick read and I really enjoyed it. I would definitely like to read more from this author and more about these characters.

Larissa Ione is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. An Air Force veteran, she traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.

Five years ago, Nick Markovic found himself consumed by his quest for vengeance. The one time he managed to find peace was in the arms of Hayley Dalton. Being with her was like bathing in sunlight, and he ached to feel that again, but he couldn’t. He gave his oath to Hayley’s cousin Desiree, his partner at McKay-Taggart and Knight, that he’d never let his darkness infect Hayley’s innocent world.

A spark she can’t put out

It was years before that Hayley offered everything she had to Nick. After that one amazing night, all she wanted was to be his forever. Unfortunately, Nick’s reaction was to walk away from her and never look back. The warm and caring man she’d discovered was gone, and after Des’s death, he’d only grown colder. But when Hayley finds herself in mortal danger, she’s forced to seek protection from the man who broke her heart.

A flame that threatens to consume them both

Haunted by the women he failed, Nick can’t allow himself to grow close to Hayley again. Running to stay ahead of the powerful forces that endanger their lives, they travel from the lush Garden in London to the glittering lights of Rio. As the threat against her becomes clearer, he realizes that to keep her safe he must confront the demons from his past, even if it costs him a future with the woman he loves.

What I Thought:

Lexi Blake hasn’t been an author I’ve read a lot in the past, but she is quickly becoming one that I like.

Let me start off by saying that this is part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone. However, as with most series you do feel like you know and understand the characters better if you’ve read all of the books in the series.

I liked that the story was fast paced and full of action. The romance was hot, and the BDSM scenes were presented in a way that weren’t ooo over the top.

While I am becoming a fan of Lexi Blake’s writing, and this book was well written, I wasn’t crazy about the romantic pairing in this one. While I liked Nick and Hayley, and can see how they were drawn to each other, and understand Nick not wanting to “corrupt” Hayley and all that, I just didn’t like them together. I guess I was holding a grudge against Nick for picking Hayley’s cousin in the past, and that Hayley deserved better.

Still, Lexi Blake is a talented storyteller and like the characters or not, it made a great story.

Nick went back to staring at the report. “Hayley’s not mine. She was Desiree’s cousin. Now she’s my client.”

Who had been tired the night before and that was why she’d said the things she’d said. This morning she’d seemed much more sensible. After she’d had some sleep and a shower and had straightened herself up, she’d been quiet and seemingly reflective. She was very likely embarrassed by what had been said the night before.

I would get safety from murderers and I would get orgasms. I’m sorry, Nicky, you’re going to tell me how that’s a bad deal for me.

He was going to make sure she understood that his protection wasn’t based on whether or not she slept with him.

Because he wasn’t sleeping with her. He couldn’t hurt her that way again.

“So she was your old lover’s cousin,” Owen mused. “The lover you weren’t exclusive with and who wouldn’t marry you. The pretty girl who looks at you like you’re the sun in the sky is her cousin.”

Anger flared through his system. “Don’t you dare. I told you I would take care of her.”

His arms crossed over his big chest and Nick knew he’d been had. “Well, that answers the question with more honesty. You can pretend, but you like the girl. And if you honestly don’t then you need to know that the boys got a good look at her last night. If she’s going to be hanging about, she should be ready for some serious male attention.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The lads talked it over last night and decided there’s no dibs on this one. They all saw her at pretty much the same time. They looked over that dead body and saw her walking in the hall and that was when the fighting started. We all sat down and decided no dibs on her. She’ll get to pick. You should know that Sasha and Jax have decided if she picks either of them, they’re willing to share. I don’t play that way. That’s something I do know about meself. No need for you to be telling me that tale. If there’s going to be some sharing in the bedroom, it’s going to be the traditional kind between a man and a woman and her stacked best friend. That’s what I say.”

“You tell those boys to stay away from her or they will be dealing with me. They will not like to be dealing with me. I will put up with many things from them. They can poke all the corpses they like. They can punch each other. I do not care. They touch Hayley and I will be caring.”

“Wow, now you do sound Russian. A scary Russian. Still, I think if you don’t want the girl, shouldn’t she be allowed to choose? Think about it. It could be fun.”

“Are we talking about the lost boys and their battle for the new chick?” Kayla strode in, her hair in a high ponytail. It bounced as she walked, a testament to her seemingly ever-sunny personality. “I had babysitting duty last night and they kept talking about her even after lights out. Bad boys. I had a plan though. I think we make them compete in a beauty pageant. Hayley gets to judge.”

“I’m judging a beauty pageant?” Hayley followed behind Kay, and both women were followed by Charlotte Taggart and Penelope Knight. It looked like Hayley was rapidly being accepted by the women on his team.

That was not necessarily a good thing. The women on his team could create chaos like no others.

“That sounds like fun,” Charlotte said with a smile. “I think we should require Speedos for the bathing suit competition. No boring board shorts. If Hayley’s picking a lover, she needs to see some booty.”

Penelope put a hand on her arm. “They’re teasing you, dear. Don’t worry about it. The lads will be very polite. Though you should expect some suitors while you’re here. Especially if you come down to the dungeon.”

Now he was the one flushing. “Excuse me?”

Hayley shook her head as she joined him at the table. “It’s nothing. I was just talking to the girls. Did you get the report? Penny said the Dallas office had found something.”

He was all too aware that they weren’t alone. Damon and Ian walked in with Brody Carter and Walter Bennett. The four men settled into chairs as the women joined them. Nick held out a chair for Hayley. He would have to remember that he couldn’t leave her alone for a minute or someone would be whispering in her ear, giving her ideas she shouldn’t have.

Like visiting The Garden on a play night.

It wasn’t happening.

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

PASSIONS ARE READY TO POP IN THIS STEAMY NEW ROMANTIC THRILLER FROM AWARD WINNING BESTSELLING AUTHOR LORI FOSTER

From New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Lori Foster comes UNDER PRESSURE, the first book in her brand-new Body Armor series, featuring her trademark alpha-male heroes and strong-willed heroines, who risk everything to save one another from the deadly forces that seek to destroy them.

Get your Copy of UNDER PRESSURE here!

UNDER PRESSURE Synopsis:

He can protect anything except his heart

Leese Phelps’s road hasn’t been an easy one, but it’s brought him to the perfect job—working for the elite Body Armor security agency. And what his newest assignment lacks in size, she makes up for in fire and backbone. But being drawn to Catalina Nicholson is a dangerous complication, especially since it could be the very man who hired Leese who’s threatening her.

What Catalina knows could get her killed. But who’d believe the sordid truth about her powerful stepfather? Beyond Leese’s ripped body and brooding gaze is a man of impeccable honor. He’s the last person she expects to trust—and the first who’s ever made her feel safe. And he’s the only one who can help her expose a deadly secret, if they can just stay alive long enough…

“Romantic thriller veteran Foster has been honing her skill for a long time, and it’s clear she’s at the top of her game here. Readers will find themselves, along with her colorful cast of supporting characters, rooting for a happy-ever-after.”

“Teasing and humorous dialogue, sizzling sex scenes, tender moments, and overriding tension show Foster’s skill as a balanced storyteller. She sets up a continuing story line for the series with the mystery of who murdered the firm’s founder, Sahara’s brother, but this thread never overwhelms the gripping main story, which will leave readers breathless.”

I love Lori Foster’s writing and how she always manages to write a good story with a side of sexy. Plus I am really excited about this series! Ex-MMA fighters turned bodyguards? Yes please. Cat Nicholson is on the run from her stepfather and thinks that Leese, along with Justice, who are employees of Body Armor are just more hired muscle of his, sent to reel her in. Boy, is she ever wrong.

As she begins to trust Body Armor (ran by one interesting sounding character, Ms. Sahara Silver) her real reason of fearing and running from her stepfather and others spills out.

Under Pressure is a thrill ride of suspense, action and romance. It was well-written and well-paced. I loved Cat and Leese, and their chemistry with each other. I look forward to reading more in this series. The next book is Justice’s story, and I can’t WAIT to hear it!!

“Foster writes an action-packed story that has everything her readers have come to love about her books…. Foster continues to prove why she is a mega-talent in the romance world!”

One thing stuck in Leese’s mind. “You didn’t like the family business?” From what Leese knew, her father had grown a highly successful empire supplying enhance­ments to new tech gadgets. Smartphone covers, special screens, camera lenses—he offered something for ev­eryone, and had distribution throughout the country, as well as in select markets around the world.

“No.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t fit the mold. Honestly, though she faked it well, my mom didn’t ei­ther. She could attend the fancy parties and appear to enjoy them. The transition was almost seamless for her. But when we were alone, she was herself. Really warm and funny, sometimes too strict and overprotective.” She fell silent, then whispered, “Webb was different when she was here. I think she was a good influence on him.”

“She passed away from cancer?”

“Yes. A terrible disease. Holt does a lot of fund-raising for cancer research. I think it’s why Bowen went into medicine.”

“Do you look like your mother?”

She flashed him a smile. “Everyone says I do. She was really petite too. Same color hair and eyes. I always thought my mom was really beautiful, and I know I’m not, so I’m complimented when people tell me that.”

Justice, who’d been so quiet Leese almost forgot he would be listening, said, “Oh, I dunno. You’re awful cute. I imagine if you dolled up, you could turn some heads.”

She laughed. “Thank you, but I don’t have many op­portunities to ‘doll up’ anymore, thank goodness. That’s one of the things I disliked most about wealth. Everyone expected me to look perfect all the time. And I’m just not the type who can pull that off.”

Leese thought she looked pretty damned perfect, even in her tattered jeans, with her hair tangled and windblown and not a speck of makeup on her face. Her mouth, especially, drew his attention. She had full lips and when he’d kissed her—

“Teaching art to kids means wearing lots of smocks, not gowns. Usually the smock ends up being pretty col­orful though—paint, clay, marker. I’m far better suited to a grade-school art room than an influential committee.”

All in all, Leese thought that sounded pretty nice.

Justice asked, “You like kids, huh?”

“Very much. My students are terrific, even the more troublesome kids. They’re all creative in their own unique ways.”

Leese let her and Justice talk about children and art, knowing it was a distraction for her. She didn’t yet want to tell him about her stepfather, but time would soon run out.

When the two of them wound down and Justice ran out of teasing compliments, Leese said, “You can have a short reprieve, but when we get to the agency, you’re going to need to decide.”

A whole lot of wariness flooded back into her expres­sion. “Decide what?”

“If you’re going to make my job easier by coming clean, or if you’re going to leave me muddling about in the dark, which could also be riskier for both of us.”

She released a tense breath. “Maybe a better decision would be to leave so you guys aren’t at risk.”

Leese caught her chin, a surefire method to gain and hold her attention. “That’s one choice you don’t have. Whether you like it or not, you’ve got my protection.”

LORI FOSTER is a New York Times, USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than 55 titles, beloved for her contemporary romance novels revolving around alpha males and the women they fall for. Lori has been a recipient of the prestigious RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Fantasy, and for Contemporary Romance. For more about Lori, visit her website at LoriFoster.com, or check out these online locations where she interacts with readers: Facebook.com/LoriFoster, Twitter.com/LoriLFoster, Goodreads and Pinterest.com/lorilfoster.

You can also sign up for her monthly newsletter at LoriFoster.com/Newsletter.

Denver, CO, December 1, 2017—Literary Wanderlust announced today it will publish a second work from humorist David S. Atkinson, a follow up to his 2015 publication, Not Quite So Stories.

Apocalypse All the Time is the story of Marshall, a man who is sick and tired of an apocalypse occurring every week. Everyone is obsessed with the possibility of the end of the world; life is constantly in peril but nothing significant ever happens. The emergency is always handled, over and over again. Marshall wants it all to stop . . . one way or another. Even if he has to end the world himself.

“Apocalypse All the Time combines absurdism, science fiction, and sly commentary on our current neuroses induced by the twenty-four news cycle to create something reminiscent of Orwell, Kafka, and Swift, while being entirely its own animal. By turns funny, maddening, and genuinely insightful, it’s one of the most imaginatively weird and original books I’ve read in a while,” says Joseph Hirsch, author of The Bastard’s Grimoire and other novels.

Apocalypse All the Time will be published on January 1, 2017.

About Literary Wanderlust

Literary Wanderlust publishes well-written novels and short story anthologies in the romance, women’s fiction, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, and historical fiction genres, as well as nonfiction. Visit us at www.literarywanderlust.com.

David S. Atkinson has devoted his free time to reading and writing for as long as he can remember. His writing focus is primarily fiction—short stories and novels—though he expresses himself through poetry and nonfiction as well. David also has a fondness for obtaining college degrees, with four at the latest count (B.S. in computer science from the University of Nebraska Omaha, J.D. from Creighton University, B.A. in English literature from the New York Institute of Technology and M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Nebraska).

Originally from Nebraska, David now spends his nonliterary time working as a patent attorney in Denver, Colorado.

David is the author of Apocalypse All the Time (forthcoming from Literary Wanderlust on January 1, 2017), Not Quite So Stories, Bones Buried in the Dirt (2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards® finalist, First Novel (under 80,000 words)) and The Garden of Good and Evil Pancakes (2015 National Indie Excellence® Awards finalist in humor). His writing has appeared in Bartleby Snopes, Grey Sparrow Journal, Atticus Review and other literary magazines and journals. Contact and learn more about David and his writing at www.davidsatkinsonwriting.com.

Marshall is sick of the apocalypse happening all the time and is going to do something about it.

What is the theme of Apocalypse All the Time?

Humanity’s continual obsession with the end of the world.

How do you develop your plots and characters?

It’s always different for each different thing I write, but for this one I had a general idea of what was going to happen and set some general characters down within that. As they started moving around in that framework, they defined both where the story went from there and who they were. It was interactive, in a way.

What was your favorite part of writing Apocalypse All the Time?

My favorite parts were actually the interludes. They were such a departure from the rest of the book and I wasn’t sure whether or not I could even keep them because they seemed like just plain fun, until I figured out how integral they really were to what was going on. That was quite a revelation for me.

Give us some insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is special? What are his/her character flaws?

Marshall isn’t any better than anyone else in his world, and doesn’t feel the need to be. He has talents for creation and design, but circumstances frustrate those. The biggest difference for him is the accident of nature that makes him one of the few actually examining the world around him, seeing instead of just looking. Of course, the same could be said for Bonnie, if not more so. Marshall would be the first to admit that.

If you could spend time with a character from your book, which character would it be? And what would you do during that day?

Malcolm. No question about it, Malcolm. He could make all kinds of things happen for me, most of which would likely be classified…so you’ll have to be satisfied with just that as my answer.

Tell us about the conflict in this book. What is at stake for your characters?

The conflict is literally the characters pitted against the nature of their world in an attempt to make their lives have some kind of meaning…so what’s at stake is everything.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Apocalypse all the Time?

The most surprising thing I learned while writing this book was just how many different apocalypse predictions there have been over time. I thought there had been a ton, but I only knew about a handful. I found a site at one point that listed hundreds and hundreds. Remember “The Boy Who Cried Wolf?” Yeah, don’t believe it. We’ll never learn no matter how many times someone cries, though someday the world does have to actually end. Maybe that’s why.

How do you choose which genre to write in?

For me, the story determines everything. I don’t set out to write in anything particular, but only one thing is going to work with what has popped into my head. The story gets to decide it all and I just go along for the ride.

What makes your book different from other books in your genre?

Most books take the apocalypse very seriously. There are a few that take it humorously, but they’re humorous about their humor. I think there’s nothing more serious than humor, and that approach makes all the difference in this book. Humor is serious business.

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?

The narrator of the interludes in this book is one of my all time favorites. He’s so silly, in a serious way, that it was just delightful writing for him.

Tell us about your background. What made you decide to pursue writing?

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t think of writing as simply something a person does. I’ve written a lot of different things over the years and drifted around between some very different areas, but writing still encompassed everything. I guess I just follow where the writing goes, whether that’s through a formal degree program or not, through literary fiction or various genres, or whatever. I just keep following.

What is your writing process?

My answer to process is a lot like my answer to genre. Everything I write needs to be handled in a different way. If I don’t listen to that, or can’t manage to hear what the project is telling me, it doesn’t get finished. The first draft of this actually got written about 1000-3000 words at a time, every single day, all within a month as part of Nanowrimo. That was just the first draft and the many, many revisions and reworks were much more sporadic and time consuming, but that’s the way it went. Very different from the way I work even most of the time.

Tell us about the challenges of getting your book published. How did it come about?

I’d been chatting with my publisher from Not Quite so Stories and she actually asked to have a look. Everything fell into place from there. Maybe she was fond enough of Not Quite so Stories to be willing to take a look based on that alone, or maybe I got a really solid elevator pitch together. What’s important is that she loved the book when she did take a look. No foot in the door is any good if the book can’t make a good impression once someone opens it.

What is your favorite genre to read?

I read all kinds of different books. Literary, bizarre, science fiction, fantasy, classics, I like to wander around. I don’t like to read too much of the same thing for too long. I think we can get into a rut too easily as readers.

Do you have a day job in addition to being a writer? If so, what do you do during the day?

I’m a patent attorney. Given the demands of the practice of law, that’s not always just a day job. Sometimes you don’t have to go in every single day, but plenty of times there’s going to be night and weekend hours in there too. We stay busy, which I think speaks highly of the kind of

What motivates you to write?

Much of the time, I get so charged up about an idea that I’m starting to write it before I completely realize what’s happening. There’s a voluntary aspect to it, but that usually comes after I’ve already begun. Maybe it’s just manic parts of myself, or too much coffee, but something charges me up and carries me into it for a ways before I need to walk on my own. That’s when the slog, and the actually work part of writing, begins.

Why did you write Apocalypse all the Time?

Because no one else had yet and I couldn’t just go out and get a copy to read.

Who did you write Apocalypse all the Time for (audience)?

I wrote it for anyone who has ever been skeptical about an apocalypse announcement. There’s an incredible instinct to credit them simply because we know that the world must someday come to an end. In the face of that, some people can’t forget that the eventuality doesn’t mean that the one in front of us is particularly probable, and things do tend to manage a way to go on. In short, I wrote it for people who think it’s better to talk seriously about a problem rather than jump straight to doomsday.

Write. You’ll have to figure out what works for you beyond that, but write and you’ll get where you need to be eventually.

What are the most important elements of good writing? According to you, what tools are must-haves for writers?

I maintain the most important element is the ability to keep writing. Everything else can be fixed given long enough at it, but if there’s no writing then there’s nothing to be fixed to the point that it can be sent out into the world.

What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

A good one seems to be “would you please accept this MacArthur Fellowship?” I’d certainly feel inclined to answer in the affirmative, should it ever some up.

Any last thoughts?

This question strikes me as funny, given the subject of the book. “Last thoughts” would seem particularly inappropriate for Apocalypse All the Time.

Doesn’t it seem as if someone issues a new apocalypse prediction every week? Y2K? The Mayan apocalypse? The Rapture? Doesn’t it seem endless? As opposed to the traditional trend of post-apocalyptic literature, Apocalypse All the Time is post-post-apocalypticism.

Marshall is sick of the apocalypse happening on a weekly (if not daily) basis. Life is constantly in peril, continually disrupted, but nothing significant ever happens. The emergency is always handled. Always. Marshall wants out; he wants it all to stop . . . one way or another. Even if he has to end the world himself.

Apocalypse All the Time explores humanity’s fascination with the end times and what impact such a fascination has on the way we live our lives.

Chapter Sneak Peek:

Chapter Four

It was peaceful when Marshall awoke. Dark and peaceful. Gradually, as he came further into consciousness, he thought about how he was in his bed, in his apartment, comfortable. No apocalypse for weeks. He’d do what he was ordinarily supposed to do. Go to work if it was a workday.

The day would be an ordinary day. He hadn’t woken up fully enough yet to remember what day it was. Regardless, he’d have a normal routine to go about.

That’s when he noticed he couldn’t see his time screen.

In fact, it was completely dark in his apartment, which wasn’t right. It was never completely dark. He turned out the lights and put the shields over the windows when he slept, but his time screen always glowed. The charging indicator on his personal hygiene unit, an all-in-one bladeless razor, touchless tooth sanitizer, and various other functions Marshall never used, should have been flashing a dim green light. So should have a number of other devices that had tiny lights that never turned off. His communication module and his food preparation station were all dark, too.

Marshall groaned.

It was another power apocalypse.

He sat up in bed, and thought about it. The power was out, that was clear enough by the dark time screen. It could have meant a simple power outage instead of an apocalypse level event, but apocalypses happened more often than blackouts. Regardless, Marshall could already tell from where he was this was more annoying than the last apocalypse where the power grid went dark.

For one thing, some of his devices were battery powered. Charge lights may not have been going if a power substation went down, but status lights were connected to internal batteries and should have still been active. Batteries would run out eventually, but he doubted he’d been asleep that long.

No, something had drained all the power. Drained it, or otherwise rendered it non-functional. The exact specifics were unimportant.

Electromagnetic pulse? That was possible. He’d heard those could knock out even independently powered electronics though he wasn’t entirely sure how that worked. Some sort of power sucker, stealing the juice away to somewhere else? A breakdown in the operation of electricity itself?

The possibilities were limitless or, they were while he was still on his bed not investigating. He’d have to go out and look at the sky and wait for Malcolm’s announcement to elaborate the problem.

If the Apocalypse Amelioration Agency was able to send out a message. Surely the equipment for that required power. Doubtless they’d find a way around needing power for the equipment, but that could take time. Information might not be immediately forthcoming, Marshall realized.

At the same time, he decided he didn’t want to know. It didn’t matter. Safety procedures were the same regardless of the cause. The actual details were only drama to get caught up in.

Also, Marshall realized he could pretend it was merely an outage if he didn’t know specifics. No apocalypse at all. Even in a blackout, people could still accomplish their daily tasks. Lack of power for a couple hours wasn’t an excuse to be idle. A power apocalypse would be, but Marshall didn’t have to think about that.

He got out of bed.

Getting ready to go out puzzled him. Personal hygiene was problematic since the unit wasn’t functional. Also, the bathing apparatus wouldn’t work, and he wouldn’t be able to see to use it anyway. He wouldn’t be able to find clothes either though that was easily handled by the fact he was still dressed from the day before.

No matter. It wouldn’t be breaking routine too much to go out unwashed in mildly soiled clothing. He’d done that when he woke up late for work hung over before. He doubted anyone else would be looking their best either. The slept-in look would likely be popular.

Luckily, Marshall’s front door had a manual release. All dwellings did after one of the other power apocalypses trapped people indoors for several days. He crept over his stuff carefully in the dark and popped the door open.

Luckily again, Marshall’s apartment was only a single large room. It was temporary housing, one in a long line of temporary domiciles, since his actual home had been destroyed in a ball lightning apocalypse. Supposedly, he’d have a real house again someday if there was ever enough time between apocalypses to build one. Still, since it was only him, and since cooking and bathing were performed using apparatuses instead of dedicated rooms, and since he didn’t accumulate much because it was so often destroyed, he didn’t need more than one big room. One room was easier to get out of when an apocalypse inevitably knocked out the lights. No maze to wander around in.

Popping the door open didn’t change much. It was still dark. The hallway had no windows. Marshall didn’t know if it was day or night. Still, the hallway was empty so it was easy to crawl along on the carpet, easy to find the exit to the familiar emergency exit stairs, and easy to follow the guide rail down to get outside.

Easy. This was a normal day with minor inconveniences.

Marshall wondered why he didn’t encounter anyone else in the hallway. Nobody crying, and wailing. It was nice. He enjoyed it. Maybe everyone was still asleep. Or, maybe he’d overslept and was the latecomer to the emergency. It might even have been that everyone else decided to sit at home in the dark. Marshall wasn’t sure, but if the hallway was calmer than usual then he wasn’t going to complain about it.

The quiet ended when Marshall got outside.

It took him a moment to be able to see, coming out of darkness into blazing sunlight, but there was no way to miss the commotion. There was the wailing, the metaphorical gnashing of teeth and rending of garments. Until he could see, it was only noise which came from everywhere at once. Windows were smashed, and were buildings on fire. People desperately tried to use dead devices. It was the end of the world, again.

It was pretty much what he expected.

Despite the problems everywhere, it wasn’t bad. There were the regular riots and violence, but the streets were passable. The transport pods didn’t work without power, but he could walk. No reason not to go about his day.

He was disappointed though when he remembered it was his day off. He couldn’t ignore the apocalypse and go into work if he had no job to go to. Not that it would have worked out for him to go in. Without power, the assembly line would be motionless and there would be nothing for Marshall to do. Staying at home due to apocalypse wouldn’t have been much different.

However, Marshall could make his grocery run. Being on foot would limit what he could carry, but he had nowhere to store perishables anyway. That would lighten his load a bit.

He hoped the food distributor was open, and it hadn’t been burned down, and the employees bothered to show up for work. As he walked, Marshall knew the possibility of success was low. Still, that was no reason to blow off the trip, considering his other option was to stay home and freak out like everybody else. Besides, the trip itself, even if eventually fruitless, was part of his routine. He always went to the market on his day off.

The walk was pleasant when one ignored the chaos. Marshall enjoyed it. He ignored the screams from people who didn’t need help anyway. He looked at things that weren’t broken or aflame to avoid seeing those that were. It almost made the world better, without actually being arrogant enough decide what was better and for whom.

Eventually, he reached the food distributor. No issues. No attacks by roving bands of miscreants, no objects blocking the way, no strange items falling from the sky. It was a refreshing walk, bordered by miscellaneous insanity.

However, Marshall was unable to tell if the store was open or not.

The lights were not on, and the main sign wasn’t illuminated, but the power was gone so that wasn’t dispositive. He didn’t see anyone inside, and no one came or went, but the security gates weren’t in place. The powered glass door was open a crack.

Marshall shrugged. He’d only find out if he went inside. He might as well try.

It wasn’t quite as simple as he hoped. The huge door was open a crack, but not wide enough to admit his slightly oversized frame. It was suitable for someone more slender, someone smaller.

He figured he’d try to push the door open. There were scuff marks on the ground, suggesting someone else tried to open the door too. The door was heavy, but Marshall either had to push or go home, and he wasn’t ready to go home yet.

He worked his shoulder into the gap of the doorway and heaved. His face reddened and he puffed as beads of sweat dotted his forehead. Though normally motor controlled, the giant door was on rollers for sliding and began to move. Marshall focused on his task so much he didn’t notice when he’d moved the door enough for him to pass through.

Standing to catch his breath a moment, he looked at what he’d done. It wasn’t much of an accomplishment, but he he’d done something. Accomplishments were few and far between in an age of apocalypses.

As he went inside, he was less convinced than ever the food distributor was open. It was deserted. But worrying about open or closed was merely semantics. He figured he’d grab his groceries first and then see if there was a way to pay.

That’s when the display stack of creamed corn canisters next to him exploded. Marshall dove for the floor. His ears rang from the blast and he could smell something sulfurous. That, and corn. Canisters and fragments of canisters clattered to the floor around him. He was wet with the creamed mush. He hoped that was all it was. He didn’t think he’d been hit. Nothing hurt, but maybe he was in shock.

Looking up, he saw a slight woman standing a little way away pointing an odd-looking weapon at him. The thing was black and long like a shock rifle, but didn’t look remotely electric. The gun was made of pipes, one main one, and some kind of grip. Little cartridges ran all up and down the sides. Smoke trailed out of the end, which the woman was still pointing at him.

“Looting is not allowed in the distributorship,” the woman shouted. She had long hair so blond it was almost white.

Marshall wasn’t sure if she was an employee. Normally, employees wore special jumpers. Then again, normally, they didn’t usually fire weapons at him.

The woman pulled a secondary grip near the pointing end of the weapon. It slid back and then forward again with a chhkcchhhhk sound and a little canister shot out the side. “Though distributorship policy does not condone looting of any kind, if you must loot we ask you do it at another location. Thank you for your patronage and please have a pleasant day.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Marshall wiped creamed corn from his face. “I’m not looting, I’m shopping.”

The woman looked puzzled. “Our credit processing systems are not operational. Do you have non-electronic funds for payment?”

“Yes.”

The woman angled the weapon away from him though she still held it at the ready. “All right, then. Proceed. However, please refrain from opening the refrigeration cabinets. We still hope the items inside won’t spoil before power is restored.”

Marshall nodded and got up from the floor. He wiped corn off of himself as he stood. It didn’t make him any more presentable, but the soiled state of his clothing was certainly no longer noticeable.

“I’m Marshall, by the way,” he told her, offering her his hand. She didn’t take it.

“Bonnie.”

“Why are you yelling?”

“New distributorship policy. Today there is only yelling in the distributorship. No inside voices permitted.”

“Okay. Did you just make that up?”

She shrugged. “Yeah. Why not? I’m the only one who came to work. I keep the place safe from looting. I get to make the rules. That’s how it works.”

Marshall looked at the exploded creamed corn canisters. “Maybe they’d have been better off if they’d been looted.”

“Can’t make an omelet without taking a shotgun to some creamed corn,” she responded. “Are you going to shop or not? I’d tell you I don’t have all day, but I kind of do. I guess, I’m only curious.”

Shotgun? Is that was that thing was? Marshall guessed so. Whatever it was, it must have been an antique.

He grabbed an item carrier and began wandering the aisles. Since perishables were out, both by practicality and proscription, he’d need to get some dry goods he didn’t normally purchase. Dehydrated potato wafers. Preserved beef strips. It felt a bit like camping, or he presumed it did. No one camped anymore.

The woman followed him around the store with the shotgun. She didn’t point it at him, but she stalked around as if she might at any moment. She tried not to appear interested in Marshall’s shopping, but she kept a close eye on him.

“So why’d you pick an apocalypse as a time to go shopping?” Bonnie cocked her head sideways.

“I’d never get any shopping done if I waited till there wasn’t an apocalypse, would I?”

Her eyes widened in surprise. Hazel.

“Besides, I didn’t have to go to work today. That means time for shopping. I even thought about going to work, if there’d been anything to do on the line. I’m temporarily in a factory until they get the design division up and running again. Frankly, I’m bored. Apocalypses are boring.”

Bonnie nodded. Her eyes never left Marshall, though she stopped brandishing the gun and slung it over her shoulder.

“Obviously,” she yelled. “I know what you mean.”

It took Marshall a couple circuits around the distributorship to find everything he thought he’d need. It wasn’t much, only one item carrier full, but he didn’t know where everything was kept since it wasn’t his usual batch of purchases. Seeking and searching took time, and he wasn’t in much of a hurry while walking with Bonnie.

She seemed pretty patient about it as well. She strolled around the distributorship with him, walking when he walked, and stopping when he stopped. When he finished, she led him up to the front and tallied the total by hand.

“Seventy-five credits.” she yelled, holding out her hand.

He paid her. Luckily, he had bills for the exact amount. He was sure there was change in the transaction terminals, but those were all dead. Marshall had no idea if the money storage compartments could be accessed manually. He could have told her to keep the change, but he had no idea how long his paper credits would have to last. It was nicer not to tax his supply any more than necessary.

“I can’t enter your transaction into the rewards program to get you your points right now, because the system is obviously down,” she yelled. “Write down your name and home location on this slip and I’ll get it all entered once we’re back online.”

Marshall took the paper she handed him and did as he was told, though he wasn’t worried about reward points. Still, it was another little bit of normalcy. Whether or not she was doing it to make him feel better, it was a nice touch.

Bonnie helped him package up his haul. Then she walked him back to the door, pulling it closed most of the way after him. He decided she must have been considerably stronger than she looked.

“Thank you for shopping with us today,” she yelled through the door gap. “It may be the apocalypse out there, but it’s everyday low prices in here.”

Testimonials

“Apocalypse All the Time combines absurdism, science fiction, and sly commentary on our current neuroses induced by the twenty-four news cycle to create something reminiscent of Orwell, Kafka, and Swift, while being entirely its own animal. By turns funny, maddening, and genuinely insightful, it’s one of the most imaginatively weird and original books I’ve read in a while.”

—Joseph Hirsch, author of The Bastard’s Grimoire and other novels

“David S. Atkinson has written a wittily satirical look at our culture’s obsession with destruction, a provocative and humorous foray into the recesses of human nature that delights in the surreal vicissitudes of annihilation. The only regretful part about this apocalyptic ride is that it has to end.”

—Peter Tieryas, author of United States of Japan and Bald New World[Text Wrapping Break]

“I cannot decide if Apocalypse All The Time is Groundhog’s Day for the seriously cracked or The Day After for the absurdist lit set. What I do know, is that while David S. Atkinson may very well be deranged, his work is funny and weird and wholly touching. I also know that we are all the better for having it in our lives.”

—Ben Tanzer, author of Be Cool and SEX AND DEATH

“Apocalypse All the Time is a wandering journey to Armageddon, again and again and again. There’s a decidedly Kafkaesque bent to the story, and Marshall at times feels like a post-apocalyptic Hamlet. To be, or not to be—that IS the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the floods and fires of a daily doomsday or to take arms against the Apocalypse Amelioration Agency and end them. Ay, there’s the rub. And one hell of a book.”

—Eirik Gumeny, author of the Exponential Apocalypse series

“Apocalypse All the Time holds utterly true to its title. This is a world where apocalypses are not singular impending events but habitual, regular, ordinary, even mere annoyances. Indeed, the narrator ruminates, ‘An apocalypse wasn’t a significant event if it was apocalypse all the time.’ This is a funny, clever, and entirely endearing book, a hilarious take on the existential status of existing as a human in a post-post(-post-post?) apocalyptic world, but it’s also heartbreakingly real and honest. Magnifying back to the real world in which the apocalypse has probably already happened, it is within the pages of these book that we learn to find love in spite of disintegration and ruin, we learn to become in spite of uncertainty, and we learn to live in spite of the hope for death.”

When I hear Apocalypse, I think end of the world. Zombies. Aliens. Plagues. Any or all of the above. Horror and terror and absolute fear. Because of humanity’s obsession with the end of the world, this is the picture they’ve painted, right? I remember staying up until midnight on December 31st 1999, because the world was supposed to end that night, according to the Y2K apocalypse predictions. And several times since then.

David Atkinson has written a story that is almost a satirical spin on everyone’s obsession with the end of the oworld, or apocalypse. This book is downright hilarious at times. What was funniest to me, was how every time an apocalypse happened people freaked out like this was “it” but since apocalypses were common, it didn’t phase the main character Marshall. To borrow a line from the book: “An apocalypse wasn’t a significant event if it was apocalypse all the time.”

Basically, this guy Marshall is living in a place where apocalypse happens all the time. Different ones, same ones, short ones, long ones, and so on. It’s almost tiring to keep up with, and probably would be if the author hadn’t written it in such a comedic manner.

I do like sci-fi, but I can tell you I’m rarely laughing my head off while reading it. This is my second time reading something by Atkinson, and I like his writing more each time I read it. He was this different style, kind of like Louis Sachar, except for grownups.

I like that this story is told with interruptions (you;ll see what I mean when you read it). It’s not as confusing as it sounds. I also liked Marshall and Bonnie. I do believe if there WERE an apocalypse, i would hipefully handle it like Bonnie.

And again, I’m a fan of Atkinson’s writing more and more. I look forward to seeing what he will write in the future.

If you enjoy sci-fi, especially with some comedy on the side Apocalypse All the Time is for you!

From bestselling author A.J. Banner comes a dazzling new novel of psychological suspense in the vein of S.J. Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep and Mary Kubica’s The Good Girl that questions just how much we can trust the people around us.

Thirty-four-year-old marine biologist Kyra Winthrop remembers nothing about the diving accident that left her with a complex form of memory loss. With only brief flashes of the last few years of her life, her world has narrowed to a few close friendships on the island where she lives with her devoted husband, Jacob.

But all is not what it seems. Kyra begins to have visions—or are they memories?—of a rocky marriage, broken promises, and cryptic relationships with the island residents, whom she believes to be her friends.

As Kyra races to uncover her past, the truth becomes a terrifying nightmare. A twisty, immersive thriller, The Twilight Wife will keep readers enthralled through the final, shocking twist.

What I Thought:

Holy. Freaking. Crap.

I love a good psychological thriller. The Good Girl, Gone Girl, anything else by Gillian Flynn, etc.

I finished this was in a less than 24 hour period because I was flipping through the pages at rapid speed every chance that I got.

I really cannot talk too much about this book without giving spoilers away.

To give you an idea of just how much I loved this book, I have told every one that I know that likes to read psych thrillers about this book, and lastly I hardly ever give out 5 star ratings. I gave this book a 5 star rating.

This book was just a total mind blower. Just when you think you might have something figured out, the author throws you for a loop

And still, if you do figure out what’s going on or when you get to that part in the book, just the complexity of it, the elaborate measures taken will blow your mind.

The main character, Kyra was injured in a diving accident and she has no memory of the past few years of her life, other than what her husband Jacob has told her. She has some memories of her life before, when she was younger, but no memory of her relationship with and marriage to Jacob.

Between her memory coming backin flashes and conversations with local people from the island they live on, Kyra begins to try to piece back together the years that she lost. However, she starts to worry when she begins having memories of her having an affair with a man other than her husband.

Happy Ever After doesn’t end at the Epilogue. The Epilogue is really only the beginning. For us, it’s meant sharing every high, every low, and loving each other even more when we come out the other side still standing. He’s everything I’ve always wanted. My best friend. My lover. My husband…

My Demon.
And I’m his Angel.

Our life hasn’t always been perfect, but to me as long as I get to wake up to Angel in my arms every morning and get to tuck our girls into bed at the end of each day I’ll be the happiest man in the world. Nothing can come between us, nothing can tear us apart.

Only…I have one regret. One that is still a black void in my head.

Every year it’s the same.

The regret.

The self-loathing for the man I was back then.

The anger that I’d taken something from the woman who has given herself to me so freely and being unable to remember a single second of it. This year it’s worse for me. It’s slowly driving me crazy.

Maybe it’s time to hit rewind and give us both a do over for that night.

Maybe what I really need is a memory to replace that empty blackness that is trying to swallow me whole.

——

What I thought:

AHHH! I had never read any of this series, or anything by Terri Anne Browning for that matter.

I am all about any book that has any kind of musical connection. I pretty much one click those, sometimes without reading the synopsis. Needing the Memories is a novella, and it is a continuation of Drake and Lana’s story(if you follow the series, you know who I’m talking about).

FOR THE MOST PART, I was able to read this one smoothly as a stand alone. The only confusion I had was when they had a family gathering and a bunch of names and how they were connected were named and I kept going back trying to connect people, and was just a tad confused. If you focus mainly on Drake and Lana’s story and not so much that, it can be read as a stand alone. If you’ve already read the series, then you’re good.

Not having read any of the series, I wasn’t really aware of Drake and Lana’s history….only that they had one. I honestly expected it to be a little darker than it was…but I guess to Drake it was dark enough.

Hands down. I loved this. I definitely will go back and read the rest of The Rocker series and read more TAB in the future.

AUTHOR BIO:

Terri Anne Browning is the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Rocker…Series. She started writing her own novellas at the age of sixteen, forcing her sister to be her one woman fan club. Now she has a few more readers and a lot more passion for writing. Being dyslexic, she never thought a career in writing would be possible, yet she has been on best selling lists multiple times since 2013. Reese: A Safe Haven Novella was her first Indie published book. The Rocker Who Holds Me changed the tables and kicked off The Rocker… series featuring the sinfully delicious members of Demon’s Wings. The Rocker… Series has since expanded to OtherWorld with Axton Cage and his band members. Other books by Terri Anne include the Angel’s Halo MC Series as well as The Lucy & Harris Novella Series. Terri Anne lives in Virginia with her husband, their three demons—err, children–and a loveable Olde English Bulldog named Link.

BLURB:From the author of the On the Line and Fire on Ice hockey romance series comes a sultry novel featuring a brooding NHL player who’s hell on skates—and the no-nonsense woman who forces him to clean up his act.

Miranda: Even though I’m broke, putting myself through college, and working two jobs, I’m trying to make the best of it. Meanwhile, Jake Birch, hockey’s hottest bad boy, lives in a luxury hotel in downtown Chicago—and still complains about every little thing in his penthouse. But after I tell him off, instead of getting me fired, Jake requests me as his personal housekeeper. Then he starts flirting with me. Only I’m not flirting back . . . at least, I’m trying not to. Did I mention that he’s hockey’s hottest bad boy?

Jake: I’ve met the best woman at the worst possible time. Miranda is the fire to my ice—a sexy, charmingly candid spark who breaks down my walls and reminds me what it’s like to feel again. But I’m being forced to date my team owner’s daughter to keep my job, so I can’t be caught with Miranda. Still, we’re getting closer—until Miranda finds out about my “girlfriend.” And that’s not the only secret I’ve been keeping. But Miranda’s the one I want . . . even if she doesn’t believe me.

What I thought:

Ironically, I am a sports fan but don’t read a lot of sports romances. I do enjoy what I read though, and its always nice to read hockey romances. Especially when I live in the South where football and baseball are the predominant sports.

This was also the first book I’ve read by Brenda Rothert.

This is a right person at the wrong time story. This is NOT a typical bad boy athlete changes his ways when he meets a good girl type story. It appears that way, yes. But as you read you see that there’s a lot more to Jake than meets the eye. He’s not as bad as he tries to be.

I also really loved how we get to see Jake’s backstory. I feel a lot of times, especially with complex characters the backstory is crucial to helping understand them.

Hooked was just the quick sports romance fix I needed!

——

AUTHOR BIO:

Brenda Rothert is an Illinois native who was a print journalist for nine years. She made the jump from fact to fiction in 2013 and never looked back. From new adult to steamy contemporary romance, Brenda creates fresh characters in every story she tells. She’s a lover of Diet Coke, chocolate, lazy weekends and happily ever afters.

Archives

Archives

My Rating System:

5 stars: Fabulous, LOVED it, MUST READ
4 stars: Great, you should check it out.
3 stars: Good, give it a shot, or at least explore it a little and make your own assumption!
2 stars: Not that shabby, read at your own risk.
1 star: Terrible, I would not recommend it.
No rating- I did not finish (This RARELY happens. I always TRY to give a book a chance.)